proud parents (and auntie).

i might get in trouble for posting this one of shari, but it was just too tender to pass up. isn't my sister-in-law beautiful? and how cute is my bro?! oh man, here come the tears again. excuse me for a minute.


okay, i'm back. i still can't believe how amazingly gorgeous shari looks for being in the thick of giving birth. man, oh man. if i could be half the wife and mother she is, i'll thank my lucky stars! my future husband will too!

and here's one of the proud papa.


oh, man. i can't WAIT to get out to georgia and kiss those little peaches! in the meantime, i'll have to satisfy myself with webcam games with miss lilli. oh how i love being an auntie.

bring on the eggnog.

the past week has been a whirlwind of holiday activity. here's a quick recap:

summer and i headed over to the orange county performing arts center for dicken's a christmas carol. it was jolly good times and got me right into the christmas spirit. after the play, we had some fun with the statues outside the theater. yeah, i know. we're ridiculous. i never professed to be anything other than than. besides, you know you love it.


and then came the boat dance. the huntington beach young adults hosted a newport harbor cruise. it was fun-filled night of dinner and dancing. after some bbq, m'girls and i got down on the dance floor. don't worry, mama, i was every ounce the lady you taught me to be. wink, wink.


then on saturday, i fulfilled my lifelong dream of getting up at the crack of dawn to freeze my bum off on a fishing vessel. true story. deep sea fishing, m'friends. i even caught a fish! if ever you decided to try your hand at deep sea fishing, be sure to make friends with the deckhands. they make life a lot easier.


the rest of the weekend was filled with cookie parties and mixers. good times, good times! i even fired up the christmas playlist finally! i'm super excited for the holidays. life is good, my friends. yep, real good.

by the way, i hate eggnog with every fiber of my being. just thought you should know.

vilkommen, bienvenue, welcome.

it was another wild weekend and the blog post is forthcoming, but i just couldn't WAIT to get this one up!

we've got twins in the family now! that's right - TWINS! last night, shari davis (married to my bro, ben) delivered two - count 'em TWO - healthy baby boys! yay yay yay!


alexander keith was born at 7:26pm and weighed in at 5lbs 11oz.


aidan scott was right behind at 7:27pm and weighed in at 5lbs 7 oz.

congrats ben, shari and lilli! we're so excited for the new additions to the family! our thoughts and prayers are with ben and shari as shari is recovering and those little boys gather strength to head home with their big sis!

book club virgin no more.

i've always been a voracious reader. i love nothing more than snuggling into my blanket with a good book. that said, i've never been part of a book club. weird, eh? maybe not.
at any rate, tonight i had my very first book club experience. it was most cozy and quite wonderful. we discussed "the proper care and feeding of husbands" by dr. laura. i know, i know. no, i don't have a husband and it's true that i'm not generally a fan of the doc. in fact, when i heard what we'd be discussing this month i thought, "hmm, maybe i'll wait 'til next month to join." i'm glad i didn't wait! this book is fantastic. i think the principles are applicable to marrieds and singles alike. the most important thing you can do is read it with an open mind. soon, you'll be seein' things her way! this book motivates women on so many levels. you won't be sorry you read it!
thanks to all the ladies that helped make the experience so positive! i loved your insights! can't wait for next month!

sabbath day schennaningans

i'm not sure why we had cameras in our bags. prolly 'cause we're photo fanatics like that. either way, that tristen. so stylish. so klassy. that's right, klassy with a k. and don't you forget it.


aren't you so jealous of tristen's cruella deville coat?! yeah, you know you are. i know you are. we all know you are.

weekend wackiness.

you see, it all started with a gumball...


...and some crazy girls.


then came a woman whose one true love happens to be a cream cheese filled pretzel.


throw in a handsome young man,


a lover's spat,


and a pic in front of cinderella's castle...


... you've got the makings of a fab-o night at disneyland.

oooh! and right now, it snows on main street. that's right, snow. in southern california. it really IS the happiest place on earth. really.

kinda fun.

this has been going 'round for a few weeks and i've ignored it. but i'm throwin' in the towel. here's how it's goin' down:

rules:
* grab the book closest to you. now.
* go to page 56.
* find the 5th sentence.
* write that sentence in the comment section.
* don't go looking for your favorite book, or the coolest one you have -- just grab the closest one.

here's mine: "grandson," he said, "there are two wolves living in my heart and they are at war with each other."

give it a go. you know you want to.

hark the bells

tonight was the annual ocmco concert. it was fantastic! auditioning for the choir was the best thing i've ever done. singing in the organization has been a blessing and an honor. i can't believe i've only been with ocmco for a year! either way, it's been a most fantastic year!


this concert was titled "all the bells on earth shall ring" and the program lived up to it's title. we had a bell choir this year. it was gorgeous. and, of course, there were a few brett stewart originals. we even had a glockenschpiel! yeah, that's okay, i didn't know what it was either. it's like...a xylophone. 'cept cooler.


speakin' of cool, don't i look so hot with my stage makeup?! lookout boys, i'm breakin' hearts tonight! me and my eight pounds of lipstick. smooches, anyone?


oh, and a shoutout to our concert photographer, heather morris! i stole the pics from her. for more info on her hilarity and daily escapades, go here.

to dance or not to dance? not even a question.

we rustled up the girls for 80s dancing last week. it just so happens that the very same night, south county experienced torrential downpours. after workin' up a sweat on the dancefloor, the cool rain was too much to resist. we took our dancin' to the streets and were soaked in seconds! good times, good times.


mom, if you're reading this, i just want you to know there were no boys around. none at all. they weren't sitting outside watching us re-enact flashdance or taking photos of said re-enactment. they weren't oogling our hot bodies or cat calling. not at all. nope, not one bit. promise.

vince vaughn is a dreamboat.

after the food coma wore off, i spent all of saturday doing my spring...erm, winter cleaning. it was a most productive day and i was totally in the zone. around five o'clock, i pulled myself out of the fog and had a chat with miss angel. we made plans to see a movie. we bypassed internment camps (boy in the striped pajamas) and hot aussie hugh jackman (australia) in favor of doofy men and leggy blondes. that's right, we saw four christmases with vince vaughn and reese witherspoon.


it was pretty cute. now that may or may not be because i'm a fan of vince vaughn and tend to place him firmly in the hot men category. yes, i recognize he's a total doof, but there's just something about him. yum! miss reese was great in the slapstick-esque scenes. it's not exactly a classic but it's a fun holiday film. maybe you'll like it, maybe you won't. but either way, that vince vaughn is so hot right now. true story.

the what?

benjamin scott davis

this be my brudda. ain't he cute? today is his birthday. that's right, the big 2-8.


happy birthday, old man. i'm so glad you got borned. life just wouldn't be the same without you.

like a bath after a long day.

it's been a delicious couple of days. and i'm not just talkin' about the garlic roasted turkey or rosemary vegetables or the...sigh...pecan pie. no, the deliciousness extends way past all of that.


generally speaking, my life is lived at jet setting speed. don't get me wrong, i love all of it. most of the time. but, when the holidays roll around, it's time to slow down. i love it. i love the laid back days filled with cooking and games and laughter. it's sleepovers with your bestie and pride and prejudice after a day of turkey and pie. it's a beautiful thing. the kind of beauty that puts a smile on your face and makes you sigh with contentment.

i'm grateful.

viva la vida

because sweet hookups are where it's at, angel and i were able to score tickets to the coldplay concert last night. two words: uh mazing. seriously, i was a fan before, but i'm officially a fanATIC now. they're incredible live.


oh that chris martin. such a sprightly fellow.

angel's friend lorie made a quick trip down from the high desert to join us. ain't see precious? i think so.


like i said, the band was phenomenal live. tons of energy and they really worked hard to connect with the audience. it was a super fab vibe. if you ever ever EVER get a chance to see them, take it! granted, the hookup prolly won't be as sweet as mine, but it'll be worth it!


p.s. i'm in love with the drummer.

if you've got a quarter hour to spare.

sure, he's a totally awkward and not-so-seasoned actor but once you get past all that, it's not so bad. the interviewer is super lame and her interruptions are slightly annoying, but robert is a dreamboat. oh that hair!

shaken not stirred.

what do you get when you cross ingrid, jason and a couple of ukes?



magic, my friends. musical magic.

survey says...ugh.

we braved the crowds on friday for a viewing of the most anticipated movie of the month. that's right, twilight.


i spent most of the day friday reviewing what the critics said about the movie. i was a fan of the books and was looking forward to seeing robert pattinson and kristin stewart doing their thing as edward and bella. the first review i read about twilight said:

I think Edward Cullen has Asperger's syndrome... Bella should totally go for Jacob instead, but then he could do way better with any of the townies... Edward looks lame ripping trees out of the ground and jumping around the forest like Tom Cruise on Oprah.

there were many scathing reviews. by mid-afternoon, i was almost considering bailing on the show altogether. here's what some other critics had to say:

Combines the plot of HBO's True Blood with the intensity level of Saved by the Bell.

How can a teen romantic fantasy not be at least some fun when the leading man's lipstick is several shades redder than that of the ingénue?

i must say, when edward entered with his highly-pigmented lips, i had to laugh. that critic was spot on. poor, poor bella. shown up by her hyper-made up vampire boyfriend. the girl didn't stand a chance.

and here was my favorite quote from the critics:

These aren't vampires. These are fairies.

classic! all in all, i'm not so much a fan of twilight the movie. yes, robert pattinson is hot but it just didn't do it for me.

now, if you'll excuse me, i'm off to write the screenplay for the second movie. these people need some help.

she's baaaack.

just kidding, she isn't. just kidding, she is. just kidding, she isn't but she was. just kidding. just kidding. just kidding.



kristin weig is the best thing to happen to snl in a long time. true story.

curse you ABC.

pushing daisies, my tied-for-most favorite show in the whole world, has been cancelled. for the full story, click here.

ned the piemaker is basically the hottest thing since...well, ever. my broken heart may never recover. i guess i'm stuck with reruns of the first season and repeated watching of miss pettigrew lives for a day. sad. what a world, what a world.

um...seriously.

this year, i'm on a quest for the most delicious thanksgiving dessert ever. i'm partial to pecan pie m'self. but this, this little darling, comes mighty close to pulling me away from my long time fave. in truth, i don't even really like pumpkin all that much. but i'd certainly be willing to give this flaky little bit a chance. ooey, gooey pumpkiny deliciosness? yes, please. for the recipe, click here.

hee-diculous.

have you seen that movie with jim carey where his life is being filmed 24 hours a day without him knowing it? i can't remember the name of it, but i couldn't help but make the connection when this little tidbit came across my email.

Online TV Shows by Ustream
you know, in the end, jim carey's character is horrified to learn that he's the star of his own reality. he feels used and violated. and i know puppies are a bit of a lesser being (i mean that in the nicest way), but i can't help but think they'll feel the same way. you know, as soon as they realize they're lives are being invaded. it just ain't right. but i can't stop watching.

the waiting game.

while we count down the hours and minutes until the release of the most anticipated tween movie since harry potter, m'girls and i are keeping busy.


angel's got a throwback to 311. 'member them? great band, great music. edward's amber eyes are most delicious.


tory's makin' a very bold statement about what she wants in a man. edward can take me to that grassy meadow and sparkle for me anytime!


and me, well, i just miss home. and, on behalf of the people of forks, i'd like to thank edward for puttin' it on the map. well, technically, it was stephanie meyer but she doesn't have amber eyes and her skin doesn't sparkle in the sunlight. i don't think.


look, ma! puffy paint! aren't we crafty?


see you friday! for the diehards, right at 12:01am. unfortunately, i'm a fan, but i'm not a diehard. at 12:01am, i'll be snug in my bed. but i'll be dreaming of you. and all the eighty gamillion screaming teenage girls waiting in line with you. i'll be rollin' in friday night. yeah, baby. i'm a fan.

hee-larious.

okay, seriously. i can't even handle this. these guys are in heels. HEELS! and they're doing the choreography from beyonce's video. i just can't even handle it.



we're the dancers. freakin' high heels! oh, man.

merry christmas! merry christmas!

yeah, yeah i know it's a bit early yet, but after last night's ocmco rehearsal, i'm more excited for christmas than ever! ocmco's annual christmas concert is wednesday, december 3 at segerstrom hall in costa mesa. you simply MUST come! one of our directors is also the composer for many of our pieces and he is incredible. we did a run through with the orchestra last night and the scores are phenomenal! i'm so excited! this is a GREAT way to ring in the holiday season!


to buy tickets go to www.ocpac.org. there's a link to "all the bells on earth shall ring" and that'll take you where you wanna go. if you can't find the link, just type ocmco in the search box. oh, and do it fast 'cause the hall is selling out! don't wait or you may be too late!

i heart rhyming. and ocmco. and the christmas season.

yet another musical tidbit.

for those of you that don't know or haven't figured it out yet, i have a most obsessive personality. but, hey. at least i'm consistently obsessive, right? the objects of said obsession aren't always or ever related, but you can almost always bet that there's an obsession a-brewin' in me head.

one of 'em is miss lisa hannigan. yeah, 'member that hauntingly beautiful (cliche but oh so fitting) voice that shared the song volcano with damien? that's lisa. she went her own way and started her own gig. right now, she's touring for jason mraz. lisa's adorable and completely loveable on stage. she's got this gorgeous, smoky voice. and the irish brouge is nothin' to thumb yer nose at neither. she's just a sweetie. see for yourself.



have a listen to her album and see if you don't love it. it's a bit of the acoustic folk again (like i said, obsessive) but i think you'll like it. i'm a fan of an ocean and a rock and keep it all. but i'll let you pick your faves. lemme know what you think.

old soul.

i'm sick. and while i wait for the nyquil to kick in (all you holistic health nuts need to back off about me poisioning my body, okay?), i will share with you what got me through a most horrific day of phlegm and faintness and a lost desire to live to see another day.

ready? it's a big'un. prepare to have your mind blown.


ta-da! mind blowing, right? right?! okay, okay. let me 'splain.

iron & wine rocks. that's bulletpoint numero uno. i've always been a fan of acoustic folk. what? my mama was a hippie. okay, i don't know if that was true, but i really do love acoustic folk. i just love the old soul quality of it. and iron & wine is as delicious as it comes.

oh, and as i perused their website today, i was dee-lighted to find that one of their songs is being featured on the twilight soundtrack. random but awesome just the same. now are you convinced?

give it a listen. lemme know what you think.

oh, mine eyes are feelin' mighty heavy. lights out.

the athens of the south

why travel all the way to greece...


...when they've got the same stuff in tennessee?


no, seriously. nashville has a full-size replica of the greek parthenon complete with 42 ft. statue of athena. crazy, eh?

brother newton and the church of ingrid

last night, instead of sitting at home on pins and needles for the election results (was it really a surprise?), my ladyfriends and i rallied for a trip to the house of blues in anaheim for an ingrid michaelson show. good times, good times.

i missed all but the last one and a half songs of the first opening act (not a fan) but managed to catch the second opening act, newton faulkner. he's fantastic. such charm, such wit. and i'm pretty sure artists hate when you make comparisons, but i'm also pretty sure he'll never read this, so i'm going to do it anyway. he reminds me a lot of john butler trio. now, i'm no guitar officionado, in fact i'm about the furthest thing from it, but to my untrained ears, the sound is similar. that said, newton faulkner live is ALWAYS worth the price of admission. check him out.

such a jolly troubadour, that newton.

and then there's ingrid. dear, darling ingrid. i like to call her sass with spectacles. okay, that was kinda lame. bottom line, the girl is a riot! i was lovin' her wit almost as much as her music. there's something about artists that are not only self-aware but can laugh at themselves that is just super endearing. she definitely knows how to connect with her audience. it helps when you're music isn't half-bad, either. in miss michaelson's case, she's the total package. her vocals are strong - she's got that low-ish gorgeous voice that jumps up into a higher register in the blink of an eye. it's pretty amazing. and the laughs keep coming. like i said, good times.

and yes, that just so happens to be a ukelele. clearly, ingrid michaelson is a woman of many talents.

prop 8 schennanigans

for the past couple of weeks, i've done my hour of calls alone. in my room. with no friends about me. it was easier that way. more focused. i was happy to make calls. excited even.

can you see the excitement?

and then the power calling began. it opened my eyes to a whole new world. a world of...power. and calling. and power calling parties. if i'd known power calling and the parties they inspired were going to be so super fab, i'd have done a calling party a lot sooner. believe that.

here's how it went down. after many hours of calling, i was very tired and a little headachy.

katie k. was kind enough to give me a head massage while i called.

after a few minutes, i was feeling better already. rejuvenated even. can't you see the glow of rejuvenation surrounding me?

then katie h. wanted in on the fun. who was i to deny her an opportunity to serve? every prop 8 caller deserves a foot rub.


then allie tried to force the napkin into submission and turn it into a fan. not so successful, but she gets an e for effort. and an a+ for all around cuteness!

and finally, aubrey joined the group. i've always loved a good hand massage.

do you like how we're all "calling" during this schennanigan? yeah, me too. such focus, such dedication. i'm happy to announce that after our little breaktime funny and a few giggles, we were back to work. and then at 9pm when the calling was over...group shot!

don't you just love calling parties? i know i do.

sexy men, sexy music.

summer and i made the trek up to LA for the jason mraz concert. after a stop at tito's and a side trip to westwood, we were off to the greek. good times, to be sure. there's something so delightfully old soul about jason. oh, and the boy can move! most entertaining.

before that, i was pleasantly surprised to hear that two spot gobi, along with lisa hannigan, was opening for j. mraz. i came across their music awhile ago by way of a link to a link to a link. love the sound, love the vibe. and they're nice guys, to boot! be sure to take a gander a la itunes or myspace.

halloweenie hilarity.

because i couldn't be satisfied with just one costume, angel and i rolled into work on friday as the mario bros. you know you love it. my boss may or may not have paid me for the schennanigan. no, really. like outside of my regular wage. i love my job.


the halloween parties were a myriad of scantily clad, ukelele playing men on roller skates.


and fire blowing voodoo men.


and kings of kong.


the freaks really do come out at night. halloween night, anyway. and i wouldn't have missed it for the world.